Firearm bipod
This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for a bipod having pivot and cant functionality built into a unified cant/pivot assembly, housing, and pivot block. Rotation of a locking knob under the housing can gradually increase or decrease friction of the cant and pivoting degrees of freedom. Sufficient loosening of the locking knob can allow a pivot block to be lifted from the housing and rotated 180°, and then retightened to lock in a given pivot position. Before this 180 rotation of the pivot block, the pivot block and hence the firearm is free to pivot up to 10°, or up to 20°, or up to 30°.
1. A firearm bipod having a rotational degree of freedom and structure to selectively lockout the rotational degree of freedom, the firearm bipod comprising:
a housing;
two legs rotationally coupled to the housing;
a pivot block removably coupled to a top of the housing and configured to indirectly couple to a firearm;
a rotating locking knob, rotationally coupled to a bottom of the housing;
a first locking means of the pivot block shaped to:
(a) engage with second locking means of the housing when the rotating locking knob is rotated in a first direction that pulls the pivot block and housing together such that engagement of the first and second locking means (1) prevents rotation of the pivot block when in a first position, but (2) allows limited rotation of the pivot block in a second position, and
(b) disengage with the second locking means of the housing when the rotating locking knob is rotated in a second direction that moves the pivot block and housing apart such that the first and second locking means are disengaged and the pivot block is clear to rotate towards the first or second position.
2. The firearm bipod of claim 1 , where the first locking means includes at least one detent extending down from a bottom of the pivot block.
3. The firearm bipod of claim 2 , wherein the second locking means includes at least two detent receiving hollows for each of the at least one detents.
4. The firearm bipod of claim 3 , wherein each of the at least two detent receiving hollows have different arcuate lengths such that the at least one detent is fixed within one of the at least two detent receiving hollows and has limited movement within the other.
5. The firearm bipod of claim 4 , wherein the at least two detent receiving hollows are rotationally separated by 180°.
6. The firearm bipod of claim 4 , where the pivot block is limited to up to 10° of rotation when the at least one detent is engaged with a larger of the at least two detent receiving hollows.
7. The firearm bipod of claim 4 , where the pivot block is limited to up to 20° of rotation when the at least one detent is engaged with a larger of the at least two detent receiving hollows.
8. The firearm bipod of claim 4 , where the pivot block is limited to up to 30° of rotation when the at least one detent is engaged with a larger of the at least two detent receiving hollows.
9. The firearm bipod of claim 1 , wherein the second locking means includes at least two detent receiving hollows.
10. The firearm bipod of claim 9 , where the first locking means includes at least one detent extending down from a bottom of the pivot block for each pair of detent receiving hollows.
11. A firearm bipod having a rotational degree of freedom and structure to selectively lockout the rotational degree of freedom, the firearm bipod comprising:
a pivot block removably coupled to a top of the housing and configured to indirectly couple to a firearm;
a rotating locking knob, rotationally coupled to a bottom of the housing, and rotatable around an axis that passes through the rotating locking knob and the housing;
a first locking means of the pivot block; and
a second locking means of the housing, wherein
one of the first and second locking means comprises at least one detent and another of the first and second locking means comprises at least one detent receiving means shaped to match and receive the at least one detent.
12. The firearm bipod of claim 11 , wherein there are at least two detent receiving means for every detent.
13. The firearm bipod of claim 12 , wherein within each of the at least two detent receiving means a first of these two detent receiving means has a longer arcuate length.
14. The firearm bipod of claim 13 , wherein the longer arcuate length of the first of these two detent receiving means allows the pivot block to rotate up to 10°.
15. The firearm bipod of claim 13 , wherein the longer arcuate length of the first of these two detent receiving means allows the pivot block to rotate up to 20°.
16. The firearm bipod of claim 15 , wherein the longer arcuate length of the first of these two detent receiving means allows the pivot block to rotate up to 30°.
17. The firearm bipod of claim 12 , wherein the two detent receiving means are rotationally separated by 180°.